The first phase of the high fire that ended 15 months of brutal war between Israel and militants of the Hamás group will end on Saturday and it is not clear what will come after. A beginning of debate of phase 2 was expected but there is still nothing defined.
The two parties should begin to negotiate a second phase weeks ago, in which Hamas would release all the remaining hostages of his attack on October 7, 2023, in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, a high durable fire and a total Israeli withdrawal of the Gaza Strip.
It will end phase 1 of the agreement between Hamas and Israel
However, these negotiations did not begin yet (there were only preparatory conversations). Hamas released 25 live hostages, in this first phase that ends on March 1, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. He also released the bodies of four captives and is expected to give another four, although it is not clear if that will happen on Thursday as planned.
In total, there are more than 60 prisoners, of which it is believed that around half are dead. Meanwhile, Israel delayed the release of about 600 Palestinian prisoners who were supposed to be released last weekend Due to the treatment the captives received, which were exhibited before crowds.
Netanyahu did not publicly declare what he will do this weekend. Its closest partners press strongly so that the war against Hamas resumes, but after the latest images of Liberated Israeli in poor condition faces strong public pressure to bring the remaining hostages home.
The extension of phase 1 is possible?
Israel is looking for an extension of the first phase to ensure the freedom of more prisoners, but Hamas says that it will negotiate anything until prisoners are released whose release was delayed. The second phase was always going to be the most difficult because it would probably force Israel to choose between its two main war objectives: The safe return of the hostages and the annihilation of its captors, said the AP agency.
In a third phase the arduous process of reconstruction of Loop which is expected to take years and cost billions of dollars. But Egypt, a key mediator, refused to discuss an extension until negotiations on phase 2 beginaccording to two Egyptian officials who spoke from anonymity holds AP.
One of the Egyptian officials also demands that Israel complete its withdrawal from the Philadelphia corridor, on the border of the border with Egypt, before moving on to the next phase. The agreement provides that this withdrawal begins this weekend and is completed in eight days.
Israel said Ariel and Kfir Bibas were killed “cold -blooded” by Hamas
The boss of Israel’s Army, Daniel Hagariannounced that Ariel and Kfir Bibas, The brothers of Argentine nationality were killed by Hamas “in cold blood” and “with their own hands.” The official gave a press conference with the forensic results on the bodies, where he confirmed the news and denounced that they tried to set up a scene to hide what happened and cover the atrocities made.
According to Hagari, minors (10 months and four years at the time of kidnapping) They did not died from bullet impacts, but the militiamen killed them by their own means. “We confirmed that the Bibas were killed by Hamas’s terrorists. They did not kill them with weapons, they killed the children with their hands and tried to cover it,” said the military.
Source: Ambito
